Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 22, 1995 TAG: 9503220086
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: WALTHAM, MASS. LENGTH: Medium
Instead, tonight's halftime ceremony celebrating Lewis' accomplishments as a player will be tainted by reports that his alleged use of cocaine may have contributed to his death.
The Boston Globe on Tuesday quoted Derrick Lewis, a teammate of Reggie Lewis at Northeastern, as saying he and Reggie Lewis used cocaine in 1985 in a bathroom in a McDonald's restaurant with Len Bias, who died of a cocaine overdose two days after being drafted by the Celtics in 1986.
Derrick Lewis recanted those statements in an interview with WCVB-TV Tuesday night.
The Wall Street Journal first reported that doctors felt heart damage in Reggie Lewis was consistent with cocaine use.
Lewis died July 27, 1993, the day he collapsed while shooting baskets at Brandeis University, where the Celtics still practice. He first collapsed April 29, 1993 during a playoff game at the Garden against Charlotte.
Derrick Lewis was quoted by the Journal as saying he and Reggie Lewis had used cocaine five days before the initial collapse, but Tuesday night he also denied making that statement.
The Boston Herald on Tuesday quoted a self-professed New Bedford drug dealer as saying he sold drugs to Reggie Lewis.
``The bombs keep falling, don't they?'' said Boston coach Chris Ford, who uncharacteristically cut short his post-practice interview session. ``We don't know what's true, what's not at this point.''
``I know there's not a ring of truth'' to the reports, Boston guard Dee Brown said after practice Tuesday. ``I'll take to my grave [my feelings] about Reggie's character and what Reggie did as a person.''
Brown will defend Jordan, who ended his 21-month retirement Sunday at Indiana, in the game against the Chicago Bulls. Brown was somber as he defended his former backcourt mate.
``If this was a regular night with Michael coming to town and Reggie getting his number retired it would have been great,'' he said. ``It does put a damper on what's going on.''
Reports that are ``going to the past and really just slinging mud all over a grave ... [are] really frustrating,'' Brown said. ``The guy's passed away and can't defend himself.''
Lewis, who played six seasons for Boston and succeeded Larry Bird as captain in 1992-93, will be the 18th Celtic honored with a banner in the Garden rafters.
M.L. Carr, the Celtics director of basketball operations, defended the team's decision not to delay the ceremony.
``We'll go on with the special feelings and try to put him [Lewis] up there where he belongs,'' Carr said. ``I've just never seen anyone give so fully of himself to a community.''
The combination of the Lewis ceremony and Jordan's last regular-season game in the Celtics last season at the Garden brought 227 additional requests for media credentials, team spokesman Jeff Twiss said.
``I respected him as a player and, certainly, for the little time that I knew him, as a person,'' Jordan said. ``I'm very happy that they're going to pay the respect that he deserves.''
``In his own way, I'm sure Michael will do something very graceful. I hope it's not 50 points,'' Carr said with a laugh.
Keywords:
BASKETBALL
by CNB